


Just Pretend

by cutiepiehansen



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Actor AU, I AM DETERMINED TO GET CONNOR THE HELP HE NEEDS I SWEAR, M/M, Tree Bros, au where connor obtains the happiness and the help he needs, but I'll warn you, but what else is new, fake relationships, he will punch anyone who hurts evan, heidi hansen is adorable, if you're reading these listen to come from away it's amazing, jared is an asshole but he's a caring asshole, one angsty chapter, pretty OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 13:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11403582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutiepiehansen/pseuds/cutiepiehansen
Summary: connor is a famous actorwho has a reputationfor being reckless, rudeand basically a terrible person.his management comes upwith an idea to make connerseem more like-able.evan hansen struggleswith anxiety and financialproblems. everyone knowshe'd never hurt a fly soif the bad boy ended up'winning' the heart ofa selective sweet boy,that must be somethingright?just don't get too attachedbecause i'm the end,it's all just pretendwarnings: fake relationships, mental illnesses, anger issues, suicide mentions (but probably no attempts)in the first chapters connor's mental problems won't be evident but they're going to show up later in the book





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> connor and evan didn't go to the same highschool so they're total strangers

"connor! notice me!" countless of fans screamed, throwing themselves at connor only being kept at bay by metal barricades and security guards. connor kept his head down, not smiling and not looking at any of his fans. no one could say connor was a bad actor because he was the best in the business at that moment, but unfortunately, he was also an ass which was also something no one could deny. directors hated working with him, but if they wanted the best, they had to get him. other actors and actresses have quit a movie when they figured out connor murphy was also on it. 

basically, connor murphy was seen as a complete asshole, but he was a super talented asshole. the only reason he had a bunch of female followers was because apparently being a 'bad boy' was big right at that time. unfortunately, for his managers and publicity team at least, the vision was becoming less popular because people had begun realizing that TREATING OTHERS LIKE SHIT IS NOT OKAY AT ALL. 

and it wasn't like connor was even putting up an image anyway, he just didn't have good judgement and a anger issues. he'd struggled with them as a young teenager, but never got the needed help, and he felt like it was useless to get any at that point. he tried to get his parents to get him therapy sessions, and his mother did try, only a little, it meant the world to conner at the time, but his dad didn't like his son's happiness riding on a handful of pills everyday EVEN THOUGH HE FELT LIKE SHIT BECAUSE OF HIM AT ALL OTHER TIMES. HAPPINESS IS NOT ALWAYS A CHOICE PEOPLE. 

so when connor (barely) graduated, he immediately went to hollywood and started auditioning for indie movies. his earliest directors he worked with kept talking in interviews about how they'd 'struck gold' finding connor murphy who was the total package, besides personality of course. he could act, sing, and dance. he could easily remember lines and while he was stubborn, he was very dedicated to his fans and his job. to his co-workers was a different story. 

but in the desperation and the decline of connor's movie offers, his management came up with an idea. a fake boyfriend. connor murphy was gay, and everyone knew it. he mentioned it in almost all his interviews as a first thing saying, "before we start with whatever bullshit you have planned, i'd like you to know i'm super gay. not gay for you, but super gay." 

they conferenced on who to 'cast'. someone sweet who would never actually fall for a guy like connor. that would make people think connor is actually likeable. also someone normal, everyone in the acting business knew about connor and that'd just make it all less convincing. if they hired someone no one else knew about, it'd be easy to paint a new picture of connor and their relationship. 

so that was how he ended up sitting in a chair in an empty with no one except him and a few of his managers or people of his publicity team. "come in!" his manager called out leading the first boy to come in. connor looked over the files listing information on him and what past shows or acting experiences he'd had. nothing stood out to him as he flipped through it absentmindedly. "what do you think?" his manager asked him, making conner realized he totally ignored the boy's audition. 

he took in his appearance, shorter than him, but most would be shorter than him, with black fluffy hair and stunning blue eyes. he looked at conner with eyes full of desperation as he silently pleaded to conner for the job. 

"no." 

~•~

connor walked down the empty streets with his hood up just in case anyone recognized him. he had been dropped off at his apartment, but he didn't feel like staying in his stuffy apartment all night. he just needed some air. the only lights guiding his way was the overhead street lamps and lighted up bar signs. like always, connor just needed to blow off steam, and he found solace in pot. he knew he shouldn't smoke and he knew his fans hated it, but it was better than self harm or bottling it all up and eventually exploding at someone else. (a/n: i'm not trying to justify the use of drugs. pugs not drugs) 

connor just wanted to get his managers and other people off his back. he should be able to do what he wants, not be pushed into a stupid fake relationship. and who in the world would want to "date" a man who is famous for being an asshole anyway? not even his family could stand him...

but it was their loss. well, his mom and his sisters maybe since his dad and him had a mutual hatred for each other. his dad probably danced when they found the note and cleaned out room. but even then, zoe was probably nice to not be yelled at everyday and threatened to be killed. cynthia was probably sad and dwelled on it for a bit, but she would eventually move on finally thinking she had the perfect family she already dreamed of. unfortunately, connor never fit that equation. 

he found himself climbing up a fire escape on a tall apartment building until he reached the roof. the wind relaxed him a little along with the pot he had been smoking. looking down from the top sent a slight wave of sickness through him, but the adrenaline outweighed the nausea. countless times, he'd considered jumping whether it be by taking pills, falling off a building, or anything else, but he never had a courage. wait scratch that. that was the only thing conner murphy would admit to being afraid of: oblivion. 

he wasn't even close to the edge, he wasn't even stepped upon the raised ledge, but someone still called at him from below. when everyone, including himself, told him to jump, a voice of a stranger down below yelled up to him saying, "wait! don't jump!"


	2. Chapter 2

before connor could realize what had happened, someone grabbed his hand and yanked him away from the ledge, the same boy that had yelled up to him. he had been so shocked, he spaced out for as long as it took for the boy to get up to the roof. he was that surprised. "are you okay?" the boy quickly hurried out holding the sides of connor's biceps. "pl-please don't kill yourself," he pleaded, eyes filled with worry and sadness. how could he be so worried about a stranger? oh. it all made sense. he was a fan. 

"yes, i'm fine!" connor quickly said, pushing past the other and rushed to the door.  
"wa-wait!" the boy called after him, latching onto his hand making connor stop. "yo-you can't just run away. i-t never works," connor was too pissed off to hear the last part though, "i'm evan hansen."

"whatever."  
"what's your name?"  
"like you don't know," connor scoffed, pulling back his hood so his face was fully visible to evan.  
"i don't."

connor's eyes widened at the other never knowing anyone who didn't know who he was (not trying to toot his own horn but he was pretty well known as an award winning actor). "i- oh," connor admitted dumbfoundly taken aback at the other fact that the boy really did care about a stranger. "my name, um..." connor looked around frantically not having any idea if he should say his real name or not. it's not like the boy would never run across a picture of him on a tabloid and recognize him, but chances are, evan hansen would quickly find out of how much of an ass he is and they wouldn't stay friends for long so he went for a halfway point. "mike murphy." not a completely lie, though. his grandfather's name was mike murphy. 

"oh, well, nice to meet you mi-mike murphy." 

"who? oh yeah, me." smooth, mike murphy.

~•~

turned out, evan lived in the apartment building which was why he had seen and "stopped" connor. they migrated to his small shared apartment because the air had become cold and bitter on the roof, and while the building didn't have heating making it not much better, evan and conner shared a blanket as they sat on the couch facing each other and talking. connor had felt something he hadn't felt since middle school as he began talking more to the other. he felt like he didn't have to hold anything back, besides his occupation of course, and he felt normal around evan. like he wasn't a freak like he was in school and he wasn't a celebrity like he was on the streets. with evan, he just felt like connor murphy, the depressed, mentally sick young adult, and compared to what else he was, it was almost a walk in the park. 

"i'm sorry about the whole roof inci-dent. please don't try again. it's really not all that bad, i swear," evan all of the sudden said making connor be taken aback at bit. connor was not up there for the reason evan thought he was, but he didn't try to contradict it because he does know what it's like to want to end it all. and he'd be lying if he said he's never tried before.  
"don't be. you have nothing to do with it. you've just stepped into my life today, and this might sound weird since i've only known you for a few hours, but you mean a lot to me er- _it_ meant a lot to me. you yelling up. you're the only person i've met in a long time that i've really connected to, and i'm very grateful for that." evan had become his distraction to his life, even if he didn't know if it'd last a long time or not. an internal timer told connor he should be getting home and he told evan. "hey can i get your number?" evan smiled and nodded, writing it on the corner of a grocery list hanging on the fridge and tearing it off before handing it to connor. "i'll text you tomorrow, yeah?"

"ye-ah, thanks connor." connor's eyes widen as his name left evan's lips who also caught his mistake instantly because his eyes widened even more. "wait, i only pretended not to kn-ow you because i didn't wa-want you to think i-i was on-only trying to get cl-close to you. i-i honestly care for your we-well being, connor. pl-please. yo-you don't have t-to believe me, b-but i just want you... _happy._ "

and connor did something he'd never admit to. evan froze not expecting the sudden movement either. connor murphy hugged evan hansen tightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's short :( they get longer i promise my average is about 1000 words this one was about 800  
> also thank you everyone for the support :) this has gotten so many kudos and hits and everything and it just makes me so happy THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! <3<3<3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: borderline anxiety attack and totally ooc because anyone with anxiety would have an anxiety attack (i'd have an anxiety attack for sure) and he sure as hell wouldn't accept connor's proposal

the thought of evan hansen would not leave connor's mind. they continued texting, but something was missing from the equation that connor could not figure out. it was like a thought was trying to arise and it was in connor's mind, but it just couldn't break free and rise to the surface. "connor, we need to talk," his manager insisted, giving the young adult a stern expression, "you've turned down all the boys for your fake boyfriend." _oh._ "you need to pick someone, connor, if you care anything for your acting career." 

then, it was like the puzzles pieces fit into place. _a set of worry filled eyes, a lie that connor believed, a shitty apartment, and an anxiety-stricken boy his age._ "don't worry about it, marvin. i've got it all figured out."

"it's mark."

~•~

**connor: hey i have a proposal**

**evan: ???**

**connor: be my fake boyfriend**

**evan hansen is calling you...**

" _what?!_ " evan almost yelled into the phone very confused. had connor made a typo?  
"listen, my management thinks that a fake boyfriend would really help my image since i'm seen as a total shithead by the media, which is only partially true. you're obviously a good actor since you made an _actor_ believe a lie and you _look_ like you'd never hurt anyone intentionally. everyone will love you, hansen, and you'll get paid very well i know. you seriously need a new apartment."

"i sh-share it with my friend jared," evan stated quietly, "and wh-what will i have to do?"   
"just go on a few- air quotes "dates" with me out in public so we can purposefully get photographed and maybe my date to a few award shows. we might have to fake a kiss every so often and put it on social media, and if it lasts long enough, maybe an interview."  
"no! n-no interviews." 

"okay then, no interviews."

"i mean- i- i guess i can do it. if your really want _me_ to be your uh boyfriend."

"yeah, evan hansen, i do."

connor informed the team about his decision making everyone kind of skeptical about the random boy connor picked up off the streets. when they wanted to meet the boy, connor quickly told them no, respecting evan's request, but asked for a photo to show them.

evan took ten minutes choosing a picture of him and decided to send one of him and his mom where he was actually happy at his first day of college. he didn't have to worry about making friends because jared was his roommate and it wasn't like highschool where you're pressured to find a clique or be deemed as an outcast for the rest of your time there. in college, you're either in a frathouse or not because no one cared past that factor. 

the managers were impressed seeing his picture thinking he definitely _looked_ cute and innocent which is what they wanted and when connor said he actually was, they were sold enough because they figured connor wouldn't pick anyone else. and they wrote a check out to evan hansen. 

~•~

"so wait, wh-what am i-i supposed t-o do?" evan asked obviously more nervous because of his stutter. he already promised connor he'd at least try it out and he really needed to money for his next year of college/student loans so he had to pull through at least this one time.

"easy. we're having dinner at this hotspot down town, wear something casual but nice. i'll pick you up and someone's going to "tip off" the paparazzi and when we leave, they're going to take a bunch of pictures of us. act a little scared and a little reluctant because we want to pull off that we've been dating for awhile but this is the first time we've been seen in public together. do not look or smile directly at anyone and don't answer their questions."  
"don't worry ab-about the scared p-part." evan laughed, "i-i'm pretty sc-scared al-ready."   
"don't worry," connor reinforces, "i'll be right in front of you,"

and that's pretty much what happened. evan wore a navy blue button down and a nice pair of jeans while connor wore a black t-shirt with a bomber jacket with jeans. they had a nice dinner, getting to know more about each other, and when they walked out of the restaurant it was like a tornado of chaos. evan shrunk away, holding onto connor's hand for dear life trying to get away from the crowd, but they swarmed the couple, the flashes from their cameras blinding him. "move assholes!" connor screamed always making sure evan wasn't too overwhelmed. people constantly were touching evan whether it be grabbing his shoulder or accidentally swaying up against him and he always flinched not liking it at all. 

his anxiety was at it's peak and he felt a panic attack coming soon, but he knew where it would all go if he did. he'd be the laughing stock of the whole nation and connor wouldn't like him anymore, not knowing really if connor liked him already now. he just couldn't have an anxiety attack so he did what he could to not.

it only took a minute or two to get to the car parked on the street, but to evan it felt like an eternity. his vision was still messed up from the flashing lights. "are you okay?" connor asked, rubbing circles on the top of the hand he was still holding as evan continued taking deep breathes as his anxiety slowly dropped.   
"y-yeah," he lied, "j-just a little ov-erwhelming." 

"it always is. you never really get used to it, though. if it's too much, you can drop out and we can say we were just friends. we can still be friends. but nothing is going to stop them from publishing those photos." evan slowly felt more and more relaxed, swimming in connor's not-really supportive words. connor had to go through that almost everyday and he hadn't gotten used to it? well, all those people are barging into his personal life which is never good. evan sighed knowing this probably wouldn't be good for him, but he could get over it if it made connor happy. he wanted connor happy. 

"i'm ok-okay. i swear."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sOmE pEoPlE sAy JuSt uSe A MiCrOwAvE (did i meme right?)  
> sorry i just love how michael park sings that line AND HE'S SUCH AN UNDERAPPRECIATED VOCALIST AND PERSON IN GENERAL  
> anyways i hope you're enjoying this shitty fic :) (i like to believe it'll get better with my pre-written chapters)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time passes quite fast in this fic so you can assume there's a good chunk of time between each chapter

"evan? what is this?" he mother asked immediately when he picked up for his weekly phone call (more like check up). _"actor connor murphy seen with stranger boy on the outside of downtown restaurant holding his hand. is the ruthless connor murphy actually able to find love?"_ why in the hell are you on the front page of a magazine and why didn't you tell me you have a boyfriend?! next time i come down there, i better meet him!" she commanded with a fake anger making evan slightly smile.

"you can't te-tell anyone this mom, only you and jared know, but it's all fake. his management thought it'd be good for his image for him to be "dating" som-eone. i just met connor off the street and i-i guess he wanted me to do it. it all just happened so fast, i'm sorry i didn't tell you earlier. it was a-all a little overwhelming." evan apologized.   
"is he nice? are you okay with it?"   
"i mean, i don't like the pap-paparazzi attacks, but we both know i need the money. i can pay for the student loans and even your student loans if it lasts long enough. i literally just had din-ner with him and was pictured with him and got $100 dollars, mom. this will be go-good for us, even if i'm not 100% com-fortable with it." 

"evan, th-that's amazing. but please don't think just about the money. if something goes wrong, please don't just push through it for the money or for me. put your well being first," his mother pleaded.   
"i-i promise, mom." evan wasn't one to lie, but at the moment he knew he was. 

***why you always lying plays in the distance @ real evan***

 

connor requested that he and evan meet at his apartment outside the city so they could really get to know each other. evan knocked on the apartment running through all the scenarios through his head like he always did when it came to his anxiety. before it could get too dark, though, connor opened the door with a smile. "hey, evan," he greeted, moving aside so the blonde could step in, "has anyone annoyed you? i should've warned you that... you might get a lot of hate. but, don't worry no one really hates you. they're just jealous. just so you know i mean it's not too late to drop out. and they might even like you, i mean anyone who spends 5 minutes with you automatically likes you, maybe the fans will be able to see that."   
evan took a deep breath before telling connor he hadn't had any trouble trying to block out connor's warnings. would he be able to handle negative attention? he sure did hope so. 

"wh-what comes next?"   
"let's not talk about that right now," connor suggested, evan gratefully nodding, "let's just pretend we're just... normal friends."

so that's what they did, they ordered pizza, making sure to have evan open the door and connor used his credit card so he didn't have to wait for change to be made, and sat watching movies, ones connor wasn't in. "what's your favorite movie?" connor asked evan making him go into a pensive state.   
"i- um, i'm not really into movies, that much," evan answered cautiously, "i'm more into, uh, b-books."  
connor smiled making evan feel more relived because a lot of people thought he was weird for liking to read. connor took a bite out of his pizza before getting up and walking into another room without saying anything to evan. 

evan took the moment, then, to take in the actor's apartment not expecting it to be what it was. it was decent size, while evan expected it to be huge, and it wasn't messy while it wasn't completely clean. evan liked all the personal touches he had put in like little succulents on the marble island and a graffitied wall behind the couch of the solar system. connor soon came back out with three books in his hand and handed them to evan. 

"here, i want you to read these and when you give them back, bring three books you want me to read. it'll be like our own little book exchange." evan nodded, looking at the spines seeing they were all books he'd never read before and smiled already thinking about the books he'd give connor.  

~•~

the next day, he had woken up to his phone constantly vibrating and dinging. "evan! turn your damn phone off, i can hear it from my room," jared yelled from outside his door before evan heard the trudging of his feet going back to his room. the blonde rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes before he looked at his social media, which was what was making the noise, eyes blowing up at the inflow of likes, followers, and comments on his twitter and follow requests on his instagram. 

he looked on what was trending, and found his name in the number 8 spot and saw all the articles saying they finally found who 'the badass actor's cute, shy boyfriend is.

evan's breath became more ragged as he began thinking about all of connor's warnings about the hate, not wanting to look at all the comments, but he did. on some of his funny tweets, people responded with even funnier responses and retweeted it. on some of his pictures, mainly random artsy pictures, people told him he was a good photographer. there wasn't a lot of hate, most just small probably sarcastic phrases. whenever he mentioned his anxiety, people told him that they have it too and commented supporting things which made him happy. 

the comment that bothered him the most was a comment posted on a picture of him and his mom on mother's day, he made it clear it was for mother's day, saying "i thought you were dating connor murphy." 

that one was just wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the whole book exchange thing is literally just a filler it's probably not going to be mentioned again
> 
> hi i hope you guys are enjoying this and don't worry the main plot is going to come and it's going to come fast  
> also don't make a microwave cookie it doesn't really work that well


	5. Chapter 5

"so how are you and the 'most famous stoner'?" jared asked, walking in and sitting next to evan on the couch. evan had been watching all of connor's movies and tv shows, but he would never tell connor because he knew connor wouldn't like it. connor made it clear he loved acting, itself, he just preferred plays and musicals, but he was stuck in film and tv. he hated the thought of not knowing if the movie or episode was good or not. with shows, if it doesn't get far or doesn't have a large audience, it's obviously not good. but he couldn't just pick himself up out of hollywood and move to new york, even if casting was beginning in la. he wished he could, but he just couldn't. his management wouldn't allow it anyway, and they have a contract. 

evan was surprised himself to be watching so many movies since he didn't like them, but he was curious. he honestly would not have known it was connor murphy up on the roof that night unless so many people his age are either obsessed over him or detested him. "don't say that. he doesn't smoke as much as the media makes you think," evan countered defending connor. they'd only been "dating" for about two weeks at that point, but evan had found out that most of what magazines and other news outlets said about connor were wrong. he didn't smoke pot whenever he could, in fact evan never saw weed or a lighter anywhere in his apartment (but then again, he mainly stayed in the living room) and he wasn't bitchy to everyone, only to people who he felt were using him. 

connor always talked about how he loved his fans more than anything else, but also about how he hates his management and the whole idea of the fake boyfriend thing. "wow hansen, you must have fell pretty hard and very fast. this is the angriest i've seen you in like five years," jared joked. evan didn't raise his voice or anything, he just said it without a stutter and with an annoyed look. jared felt the sudden tension in the room, the fact that connor was kissing his female costar on the screen probably didn't help any, and decided to break it up. "why don't you invite connor over? i'm making pizza and i always have some leftover dough. we can all watch disney movies or some shit," he suggested knowing evan didn't like movies, but he loved disney movies, he just didn't want to tell connor that. evan nodded with a small smile, calling connor as jared went back into the kitchen. 

~•~

"hey marvin i'm leaving!" he shouted out loud, grabbing his coat about to head to evan's place.   
"connor, you still have two scenes to shoot." mark protested standing in front of the door knowing he should probably correct connor about the name mistake, but didn't bother.  
"it's evan, marvin. he needs my help," connor lied. he is an actor. "i'll come in early tomorrow since the two scenes are mainly me, okay?" was that one a lie? the world may never know (it totally was though).

mark sighed knowing there was no way he'd convince connor to stay, especially not with evan in the mix. he knew connor had met evan outside of the auditions and knew they were hanging out a lot in connor's free time. he hadn't met evan, but he already liked him because he could notice slight changes in connor. he'd be more sympathetic is someone on set freaked out about a mistake and he'd show more love to his fans sending out tweets about how grateful he was for them. there weren't any major changes, like connor didn't start bringing cupcakes for the whole cast and crew or anything or started calling mark, mark instead of marvin, because simply bringing a friend or significant other won't change your mental illness, maybe help a little, but not drastically. 

connor shouted his thanks as he ran out the building as mark braced to tell the director, but at that point, the director had became used to it. when he got to the familiar apartment building, he had to have evan open the front door over the intercom and he walked up the steps to the third floor. when he knocked, evan's roommate opened the door with a shit-eating grin on his face. "ah, you must be connor. evan doesn't talk about you much, but i hear him moaning your name at night so-"   
"JARED!" evan shoved jared out of the doorway, connor hearing his laugh in the background, while evan's whole face is red with both embarrassment and anger. "i- he- uh-"   
"it's okay evan," connor chuckled, stepping in when evan motioned him to, "i do it too." he winked jokingly at evan who almost fainted from being so flustered. 

"wait, why are there four pizzas if there's only three of us?" he heard evan ask jared once evan told him he could sit on the couch. he didn't hear the answer though. after a second, they called connor in the kitchen to put whatever he wanted on his pizza. connor put pepperoni and sausage on his, evan stuck to just cheese, and jared put pineapple and ham.   
"you put pineapple on your pizza?" connor mockingly scoffed watching as jared huffed, slamming his free hand on the counter. 

"it's not that weird! it's good," jared exclaimed almost throwing the chopped pineapple everywhere.   
"whatever you say." 

they continued talking about different stuff, until the intercom buzzed signaling someone wanted in. jared quickly rushed over and told the person to come in before they could speak. connor looked over at evan, sending daggers, while evan just looked over at jared dumbfounded. evan knew connor wanted as minimal people to know so the secret didn't get out, and jared hadn't informed him anyone knew besides jared and his mom. "i sw-swear, i had no-no idea someone el-else was co-coming ov-er," evan stammered hoping connor wouldn't get mad. evan didn't even know who jared had invited over. 

"just- go into m-my room," evan improvised knowing connor wouldn't be comfortable with another stranger. he knew how much the other didn't trust strangers. trusting evan and jared was a very long stretch for him. he showed him his door and came out to see jared and alana at the door. he let out a breath grateful that it was only alana and not some person jared knew but not him. he knew connor could trust alana.

"connor, this is alana. she's a friend back from our hometown, visiting," jared introduced once evan told connor to come out of his room. connor found a lot of cute baby pictures there from snooping around.  
"hi there," alana smiled, holding out her hand, "i'm alana beck and might i say, you have a great acting technique."   
"oh, i- um- thanks?" alana's smile grew larger before saying,  
"you're welcome." 

after alana prepared her pizza and jared put them in the oven, they all sat down at the small table and began eating, making small chit chat. both connor and evan were grateful alana never mentioned their "relationship" or connor's occupation as they all chatted like regular old friends reconnecting. "so alana, wh-what are you doing back h-home?" evan asked.   
"i've been working a lot on different things," alana answered which didn't surprise either of them, "recently got a new apartment with someone, got a promotion, etc." 

"wait, what is your guy's hometown again?" connor questioned. he just assumed jared and evan were from LA, he didn't think they came from somewhere else.   
"small town, usa," **(reference and didn't know what to say)** jared answered. connor's eyes widened, but he didn't explain why. the other three shared confused glances as connor looked down at his plate, no one knowing why he had a sudden change of demeanor.

after dinner, the four moved to the living room to watch the planned disney movies not saying much. the whole hometown discussion had seemed to put a damper on the mood of the evening. connor and evan sat on the loveseat with jared and alana on the floor in front of them. they all tried talking to connor, but he wouldn't look up from his phone with a grim countenance so they all gave up. evan had told jared to put in the hunchback of notre dame, since that was connor's favorite disney movie, but he didn't acknowledge that either.  

they made it through hunchback and finding nemo with the constricting tension in the room before alana lost it. "oh my god! why are you acting so moody because of our hometown?!" she practically yelled, but more to the open space than to connor. she was just frustrated and dying to know, just like jared and evan. connor looks down, with fire in his eyes, standing up.  
"none of your fucking business!" he spat, giving alana a death glare that could make anyone shake in their socks. "why the fuck do you care anyway?! my life isn't any of your fucking business." connor hurried over to the door in the middle of the movie, grabbing his coat off the coat rack. "thank you for inviting me, evan, but you two can go die in hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hello i shouldn't be publishing this because i haven't finished the chapter i was supposed to but i'm very busy and i'm working on a new book i'm very excited for   
> next chapter is gonna fuck y'all up man i cried writing it


End file.
